Car Player’s Replacement for the iPod App Has Pink Fuzzy Dice

Car Player is a simple front end for the iPod app on your iPhone with large “illuminated” buttons to make it easier to switch between playlists, Play, Pause, Rewind and Skip.

The app’s shuffle option takes the shape of a rolling die, easily toggled on and off for sequential playback with a single tap.

Car Player is exactly what I look for in a driving display: no clutter, simple interface, bright but not blinding, with plenty of contrast for low light situations. Album art is a non-essential plus that spices up the look of the player without overcomplicating it.

Because this app isn’t a standalone player, and instead works as a front-end for the native iPod app, switching between iPod and Car Player won’t alter playback, which can be handy for relinquishing music control to the more-capable hands of your copilot, who can use the regular iPod app.

On the subject of looks, Car Player offers three practical display themes (accessible under main settings). Listeners can choose between “Blue Glow,” an easy-on-the-eyes theme for night driving, “Car on Fire,” in slightly brighter orange, or my personal favorite, “Pink Pink Pink” which is, well, pink.

Car Player doesn’t support gestures. Depending on your preference this can be a hit for or against the app. In my own usage (legal disclaimer: the writer always obeys state and local traffic laws), I find that large, well-spaced icons with tap control are sufficient for simplifying playback, and often get frustrated with overly ambitious gesture-based apps, but your mileage may vary.